


It's Judgement Time (and Things get...Better?)

by Akira_of_the_Twilight



Series: My Roommate is a Demon (and There is Going to be Trouble) [21]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Demons, Angst and Feels, Backstory, Everyone Has Issues, M/M, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony has Guilt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-20 21:36:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12442311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akira_of_the_Twilight/pseuds/Akira_of_the_Twilight
Summary: “Morning, Tones.” Clint waltzed into the kitchen. Blond spikes shot up the top of his head like they’d been electrified. Clint eyed the pancakes, but headed for the coffee first. Clint began to pour himself a cup.“I think it’s time I tell you about my past,” Tony stated.Clint jerked and spilled coffee all over the counter. He cursed then set the pot down and tossed a dish towel on the mess he had made.“That was not how I expected to start this morning.”





	1. Chapter 1

A guilty conscious plagued Tony. It was the curse and blessing of having a soul. As much as the guilt gnawed at him, Tony was happy to take it. Having spent so long without a soul, he’d take the weight of owning one any day, because with that weight it came so many joyous things. Happiness itself was a gift that came with a soul. After gaining a soul he had learned that the delight he had taken in making others suffer had only been a shade of jubilation compared to simply hearing a joke or being in the presence of those who cared for him and he in return. 

Right now his heart and soul ached as he stared at Steve’s sleeping face like a lover in a romance novel the night before an antagonistic force befalls the couple. 

There were so many antagonistic forces in Tony’s life he wouldn’t know where to begin a list of the threats hovering over them. Except, that wasn’t entirely true. He knew the first name he would put on that list, he just didn’t know what name would follow. 

Tiberius was the guillotine that hovered over the necks of the three humans who Tony had grown to care for deeply. 

Tony looked toward the bed where Bucky and Clint slept. His self-condemnation twisted his heart. He had brought so much danger into their lives, yet instead of yelling at him today, the three boyfriends had pulled him into their pile of affection and comfort. They’d invited him to play until exhaustion smothered their fears long enough for them to fall asleep. 

Steve had even climbed into bed with Tony when he should have stayed with Bucky, who had suffered the most that day. 

He was in awe with the trio, and like so many times before, he felt himself falling in a dizzy downward spiral as he fell a little more in love with each of them. 

A good person would leave them. Spare them the danger and leave. 

Tony wasn’t a good man though, even with his soul. He was selfish, and when he found someone or something he loved, he attached himself to it or them, and refused to let go until a force stronger than nature ripped them apart. 

Or in many scenarios, until the person he had grown fond of told him it was time for him to let go. 

As dawn approached, Tony teleported himself out from under Steve’s bulky build so as not to disturb the young man. He fetched a fresh suit, underwear, and his tablet from under his bed (Tony had been quite skilled at efficiently utilizing the space under his bed). He considered teleporting straight into the bathroom, but based on the trio’s deep breathing that borderlined on snoring, Tony trusted that they wouldn’t be awoken by his footsteps. 

Tony went to the bathroom. He propped the tablet against the wall outside of the bathroom to avoid the tablet being damaged by the amount of steam his shower would produce. Once his tablet was safe from damage, he entered the bathroom and hopped into the shower. The water was scalding hot, just the way he loved it. He sighed as the water eased the tension in muscles. Rivets rolled down his shoulders and thighs as he let his thoughts wander. 

There was so much to consider. He needed to make sure his humans were safe. 

Tony paused to reflect upon his mental possessiveness. He wasn’t sure how Steve, Clint, and Bucky would feel about him thinking of them as his, but he suspected the latter of the trio would give him the hardest time over it. 

Tony smiled at the thought. He really did love Bucky’s bluntness. It was refreshing compared to the carefully crafted dialogues produced by demons adept at striking bargains. Of course, there were a number of demons who even after centuries were crude and brash with their speech, but they were the ones who enjoyed the torture more than the art of bargaining and never got far in the ranks of Hell. Plus, their bluntness came from a lack of creativity and cleverness. Bucky had proven himself quite intelligent and creative. He just didn’t put up with nonsense, which Tony could appreciate. 

Tony finished his shower and dressed. He plucked his tablet off the ground as he exited the bathroom and headed for the kitchen to cook breakfast and brew a pot of coffee. 

Tony contemplated what to make for breakfast and settled on pancakes. All of the trio liked pancakes, and pancakes were easy to make. Tony’s thoughts drifted to Clint as he set the coffee to brew then moved on to make the pancake batter. 

It was intriguing to know that Bucky and Steve had been in relationship prior to Clint, because it was easy for Tony to see that in many ways, Clint was the heart of the trio’s relationship. He was probably the most childish of the three, and when he wasn’t at work or dealing with school, he was always fooling around. That playful demeanor was in stark contrast to the fact that Clint was also the one who constantly reminded everyone to communicate and demanded that everyone show each other respect and consideration. He didn’t like secrets, and he was just as expressive as Bucky. 

Tony’s thoughts turned pensive as he thought more about the honesty and openness the trio had shown him. It made him think of how much he had hidden from them. He didn’t think his secrets had caused them trouble—aggravation, yes, but not trouble—but now he wondered. 

Tony plated the last pancake. He cleaned up his mess then grabbed a mug and poured himself some coffee. He seated himself at the breakfast table and thumbed through his emails on his tablet. 

His brow pinched as he realized he was going to have reschedule the phone calls and one meeting he had planned for the day. 

It wasn’t uncommon for Tony to not join Clint for every class he took or disappear for a couple hours while Clint was at work, so none of the trio knew what he had been planning to surprise them with for the last couple of months. 

Tony sighed. Just another secret, right? 

“Morning, Tones.” Clint waltzed into the kitchen. Blond spikes shot up the top of his head like they’d been electrified. Clint eyed the pancakes, but headed for the coffee first. Clint began to pour himself a cup. 

“I think it’s time I tell you about my past,” Tony stated.

Clint jerked and spilled coffee all over the counter. He cursed then set the pot down and tossed a dish towel on the mess he had made.  

“That was not how I expected to start this morning.”

Truthfully, it was not how Tony had planned to start it either. There was already so much to deal with this morning. It really wasn’t the time for him to be revealing his past, but he had already said the words, so he was committed. “We don’t have to do this now. I’d like to wait for Bucky and Steve to be awake so I only have to do this once, and Bucky isn’t going to want to talk about this first. He’s going to want to check on his co-workers. We’ll also have to discuss what we can do about Bucky working now that Tiberius knows where Bucky works.” 

Clint blanched. “Oh man, I didn’t even think about that last night.”

Tony nodded. Understandable. Everyone had been terrified for Bucky. No one was thinking about future dangers.

“Hey.” Clint approached the breakfast table. He set his hand on Tony’s shoulder and squeezed. “Are you okay? I know I’ve been pressuring, but don’t feel like you have to tell us after what happened yesterday. I know we’re all messes right now, so I don’t want you doing anything you’ll regret.” 

Warmth pooled in Tony’s heart. This was just another reason why he loved Clint. As much as Clint hated secrets, he was willing to accept them and give a person space when asked. Yes, Clint could become frustrated (and had), but the fact that he cared more about Tony revealing his secrets when he was ready than learning all of Tony’s secrets immediately, meant something to Tony. 

Tony touched the hand Clint had placed on his shoulder and squeezed. “Thanks. I know we’re all crazy right now, but I think it’s time. Things are going to keep getting crazier, and you three deserve to at least know… well, I guess, know why I’m a bit of a celebrity in Hell.”  

“If you’re sure,” Clint said. 

Tony nodded. Knowing his history may not help the trio at all, but at the very least, they wouldn’t feel like they were sheltering a stranger. 

Clint finished cleaning up the mess he had made then finished pouring himself a cup of coffee. He filled a plate with a stack of pancakes that he drenched in syrup then carried his breakfast over to the table to join Tony. Clint feigned nonchalance as they ate, but his lack of speech and his constant flickering attention aimed at the bedroom told Tony Clint was anything but apathetic. 

Clint’s leg shook as he waited for his boyfriends to stir. When someone finally lumbered out of the bedroom to use the bathroom, Clint looked visibly relieved. Ten minutes later, showered, and halfway dressed with jeans on, Steve strolled into the kitchen. “Bucky’s in the room calling everyone right now. Don’t know how long it’s going to take, but it’s confirmed that the shop will not be opening today, and possibly tomorrow. They’re looking for a gas leak.” 

“That’s good and bad.” Clint speared a piece of pancake and held it to his mouth. “Bucky’s going to need the time to process, but he’s going to be stir crazy if he has to stay home more than one day.” Clint ate the bite of pancake he’d held to his lips. 

Steve nodded, picking out a plate of his own and filling it with food. He strode over to Tony, bent down and pecked Tony on the cheek. “Thanks for breakfast, Tony.”

Tony smiled and turned his head so he could kiss Steve. “Have to make sure you three eat something other than cereal.”

“But are pancakes really a healthier alternative?” Clint prodded innocently. The light in his eyes gave away a more mischievous intent. 

“If that’s how you feel, next time you can have broccoli for breakfast.” 

“No!” Clint flung his body over his pancakes and hugged them. He grinned like a loon, even as he played up the histrionics. “Don’t you dare take my precious pancakes from me!” 

Tony muffled a chortle behind the rim of his coffee mug. 

The bedroom door opened and shut. Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway. Bucky lumbered into the kitchen/living room like a zombie. He was the stellar morning beauty that he always was with his gravity defying hair and a scowl that refused to quit. Although, today the morning scowl was weaker than usual. 

“They’re all okay,” Bucky stated. He ignored the pancakes and coffee. Instead, he retrieved a glass from the cabinet and poured himself milk. He gulped down half the glass before he came up for air. “I slept like the dead, and I’m still exhausted.” 

Steve set down his plate and wrapped his arms around Bucky. Bucky returned the embrace. Their holds on each other were a desperate cling, Bucky holding on like Steve was a buoy in a storm, and Steve hugging Bucky like he was trying to keep him from falling to literal pieces. 

Bucky inhaled deeply then exhaled. He then slowly pulled himself out of Steve’s embrace. “Thanks.”

“Any time.” Steve held Bucky’s hand and kissed him.

“At least Tiberius and Thor didn’t do any permanent damage to anyone,” Clint added. 

Bucky nodded in consideration, but kept his head bowed. He leaned his hip against the counter and crossed his arms. “I’m going to have to find a new job, and even then, Tiberius still might go after Dum Dum and the others.”

There was that sharp stab of guilt that Tony had been able to ignore momentarily. “I’ll see what I can do to make it so you can keep your job. Loki’s going to be in a good mood after what happened to Thor. He might be more willing to help.” 

Bucky lifted his head, fragile hope in his expression. “Really?”

“I can’t promise anything, but even if you do quit your job, for the meantime we have to find some way to ensure Tiberius doesn’t go after your friends.” Tony frowned. “It’s unfortunate what Loki did to Thor. Perhaps if we’d had a chance to reason with Thor, he could help us.” Memories of Thor surfaced to the front of Tony’s mind and he grimaced. “Or maybe not. His patience would only last so long before he’d hunt down Tiberius and abandon guarding your friends.” Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. “He’s been reprimanded for that in the past.” 

“What exactly is your relationship with Thor?” Clint asked. 

Humor tickled Tony’s insides. “That depends from day to day. He tried to kill me in the past because I am a demon. Then I reclaimed my soul, and he was baffled as to what to do with me. Then he found out I had intercourse with Loki.” Tony shrugged. “Since then, I never know what I am going to get when Thor and I cross paths.”

“Shit.” Bucky gripped a fistful of hair. “That’s right. They’re brothers, which means Loki is an angel.” 

“Half,” Tony corrected. “The other half is still his to disclose.” 

“Is he a Nephilim?” Clint asked. 

Exasperation made Tony roll his eyes at Clint. “What did I just say?” 

“A guy can try,” Clint stated and punctuated the claim by eating the last bite of pancake on his plate. 

“How about half demon and half angel?” Steve aimed at the ceiling. His brow was wrinkled from mulling over Loki’s possible heritage. 

“Steve! Not you too!” Tony buried his face in his palms and groaned.

Mirth lit up Steve’s face. “I’m just messing with you, Tony.”

Tony sighed. These humans were going to be the end of him (not the worst way to go). 

Tony glanced at Clint, whose face had become pinched with consideration. 

It was time to change the topic. Tony took a deep breath and announced to Steve and Bucky. “I told Clint I would share my history with you three today. I understand if after yesterday it’s too much.” 

Silence met Tony. 

Bucky tapped his fingers against his glass of milk. He bit his bottom lip. Steve had taken to biting the inside of his cheek, and Clint was watching his boyfriends intently and full of hope. 

Steve looked at Bucky. “I’m fine with it, but I don’t want to put pressure on anyone.” Steve made a point of sliding his gaze to Tony. Without a word, he communicated that he was concerned about Bucky and Tony’s needs. 

Bucky plucked a pancake off the plate and ate it from his hand like a heathen. He waltzed over to the couch and plopped himself on it. He kicked his feet onto the coffee table. “Okay. Let’s hear it.” 

Oddly enough, now that it was time for Tony to reveal his past to Bucky, Steve, and Clint, he felt lighter. He would have thought dragging the words out of him would be like moving boulders uphill, but the words flowed out as easily as an exhale. 

“Before I delve in deep, it’s important that you know that it is possible to make a deal for extended life and perpetual youth. In fact, in one case in particular, the person who made this deal, has added perpetual, cyclical youth to make it easier for them to blend into society. This person is Howard Stark. At least that’s the name he goes by now.” Tony paused for a moment to let the information sink in. 

He could see the trio connecting the dots, and paid extra attention to Bucky. He had the most information about Tony’s past, so if anyone was going to put things together right away, it would be him.

Bucky’s face was pensive even as understanding flashed through his blue gaze. 

Once Tony saw that spark of knowledge in Bucky’s eyes, he stated what he suspected Clint and Steve’s thoughts were just beginning to circle around. “Howard Stark is my father, and he was the one who sold my soul and turned me into a demon.”  

Bucky cussed under his breath. Steve’s tensed like he was bracing for a punch, and kept his focus on Tony. He was hungry for information, but he kept his questions to himself. 

Clint wasn’t so silent when it came to his curiosity. “So just to be clear here, you have a soul right now?”

Tony nodded slowly, intrigued that this was the question Clint was asking. He’d have guessed Clint would inquire more into Howard and the details of the man’s deal. 

“But you didn’t have a soul before?” Clint asked. 

Tony nodded again. 

Clint leaned into the back of his chair. He hummed in consideration. “You’re going to tell us how that happened, right?” 

“That was the plan.”

“Okay.” Either choosing to ignore the somber atmosphere or choosing to rebel against it, Clint plastered on a smile and waved his hand for Tony to continue. “Go on.” 

Tony did. He told Clint and Steve the same story he had told Bucky, but with fewer pregnant pauses and trailed off sentences. He explained to them that Howard had sold Tony’s soul before Tony had breathed his first lungful of air. “It’s part of the deal he made. He basically, gets to live forever so long as he has children and gives those children’s souls over to the big boss man shortly after they’ve been born. He and the big boss man are smart about it too. ‘Howard’ or whatever name he goes by at the time, either dies or goes missing right after the kid is born.”

Tony couldn’t help but smile cruelly. “To most of the world, it looks like Howard has died tragically before getting to know his child. The reality is, he’s sacrificed his child and taken its place like a changeling. Also, it’s an unfortunate fate for any woman who bears him a daughter. She usually joins Howard in his ‘tragic accident.’ Same usually with anyone who helped deliver the baby. Wouldn’t want anyone questioning how the Stark heir went from female to male within a day, would we?” 

Clint had stopped smiling and leaned in his chair. Both feet were planted firmly on the ground. He hunched over the table. His eyes were so wide they were just shy of bugging out of his skull. 

Bucky had placed a hand over his mouth, but even with that shield in place, Tony could see the scowl he was hiding. 

Steve was the closest to a neutral face. His tight jaw and his furrowed brow were the only giveaways that he had been affected by Tony’s story. 

“As for what happened to me after Howard sacrificed me,” Tony paused to give the trio a chance to ask questions. He was pleasantly surprised when none of them interjected a question. He supposed after waiting so long to hear his history they didn’t want to risk distracting him by asking him a slew of questions. He’d probably be hit with a number of inquires by the end of his story. 

“A lot of time passed, and so I’m not sure what specific stories you would like to know. Involving Tiberius though, I was raised in Hell, and for a long time I was just a victim—another soul being tortured. Tiberius was a low ranking demon at the time, so low ranking that when it became boring torturing souls, it was not uncommon for him to be put on a rack or thrown into a pit.” Tony remembered quite vividly watching as Tiberius eyeballs were pecked from their sockets, watching as he was gelded, and watching again as hooks and claws were sewn into his flesh and centimeter by centimeter the flesh was ripped from his muscles and bones. 

An old voice in the back of Tony’s head snidely whispered, _“And you think he’s harming your humans? He’s barely begun to play.”_

Tony mentally batted the voice away. Yes, Tiberius so far was just toying with all of them. He knew just as much about torture as Tony did. Tiberius wasn’t serious yet. He might be now that Thor had interfered though. 

“Tony?” Clint’s voice interrupted Tony’s thoughts. 

Tony shook his head. “Sorry. Memories.” He cleared his throat. “Eventually, Tiberius and I talked. We formed a bond and a plan. The next time one of our tormentors came for us, we threw them on the rack, and we became the torturers. From then, whenever someone came for us we went after them and always won. Committing these acts caused me to transform, just as it did Tiberius. Soon both of us were adept demons, capable of being sent to Earth to bargain for souls. From there we rose even higher in the ranks, becoming the best. There was just one thing that bothered me though.”

Tony gripped the edge of the table, his old rage returning to him with so much vigor, it was as if he were the demon from decades ago. “Someone had my soul, and as long as someone had it, then I was somehow weaker and inferior. It didn’t matter that the one who had my soul was the big boss man himself. I had to get it back. 

“So I challenged him—the big boss man. I’d been watching humans, and it was easy to see that they were about to have a world war.” Tony grinned cuttingly. “Wars are the best time for collecting souls. So many desperate people. Even children who just want a loaf of bread are willing to give up their souls.” Tony took a deep breath and shook his head. Just as his anger had overcome him a moment ago, he had felt something dark and grotesque embrace him as he recalled the desperation of that time. “One million souls delivered within one year for mine. If I couldn’t do it...well, let’s just say there’s still so much to Hell that I don’t know about, and I never want to.” 

Tony raised his hands then dropped them at his sides. “I did it. The big boss man wasn’t even mad that he’d lost. Gave me my soul, and as much as I love it now, giving me my soul after that was probably the best punishment he could have done.” 

The corners of his eyes prickled and his throat constricted as the memory of the guilt and disgust crushed him under their weight. It reminded him that even after all these years he was still a demon—a monster. It didn’t matter if he never collected another soul again or if he did good deed after good deed. He’d never be able to undo what he’d done. 

Tony took a deep breath. “So that’s how I became a demon with a soul.” 


	2. Chapter 2

“I’ll give you three some time to process.” Tony pushed his chair back and stood up. He cradled his tablet in the crook of his arm and balanced his mug of coffee. He skimmed the room then strode toward the bedroom like a gladiator fully aware that he was unprepared while making his way to the arena. 

Clint lifted his head and opened his mouth to say something then shut it. He let Tony leave, and the sound of the bedroom door clicking shut was deafening in the apartment.

Steve imagined that Clint was in the same debacle as himself. Tony had just laid out some heavy information that was not easy to compute. At the same time, Tony was still someone they had grown to care about. His mask of composure was well in place, but there had been cracks in it as he had shared his story. 

It would take concentrated ignorance and obliviousness to be blind to the fact that Tony was the person most disgusted with himself in the room and that he was mentally castigating his himself and his past deeds. 

The desire to pull Tony back to tell him that everything was okay, and that they didn’t mind his past at all was as strong as the tug of a magnet; however, it would just be a platitude at this point, and a disservice to Tony. Tony had dropped a figurative bomb on them. They needed time to process, and so did Tony. Any comfort they’d try to give him now would hold little meaning or value when they hadn’t given themselves any real amount of time to grasp the full effect of Tony’s past actions. 

Tony had taken advantage of a terrible situation and used it to trade in a million souls for his selfish reasons. He clearly showed regret and was a better person now than he was then, but did that balance out? 

And what did it say about Clint, Bucky, or Steve if the answer was that the scales didn’t balance out but they still liked and cared about Tony anyway? 

There was just too much to reflect upon, and Steve didn’t think they’d ever have the answers to the questions that were just starting to form in their minds.  

Bucky grabbed a couch cushion and hugged it to his chest. He flopped onto his side and groaned. “I have such a headache now.” 

“My brain is going in circles,” Clint admitted. “I knew his past wouldn’t be pretty, but… damn. I guess I just never gave it as much thought as I should have.”

Steve nodded in sympathy. “And that’s not the only terrible thing he did. Tony had to collect souls before that too. He may have collected millions of souls before then. That million he mentioned just happened to be bulk at the time.” 

Bucky cursed. “This was so much easier when I said ‘Fuck if he’s nice. He’s still a demon.’ Fuck, that should still be the way I see it, so why the fuck is my brain coming up with a dozen reasons why it’s okay to…” Bucky gritted his teeth and glared at the ceiling. “Fuck! I still like him, okay? And that’s messed up. We’re in so much shit trouble, and it’s all because he got involved in our lives, and right now, I feel guilty as fuck for letting him walk out of this room.” 

Bucky grasped his head. “I need therapy.” 

“I need therapy and a philosophy class.” Clint mimicked Bucky and grasped his head. 

Steve paused as he mulled over what he needed. He stood a little straighter and headed for the door. “I need to pace. I’m going into the hallway.” 

Bucky sat up and flung the couch cushion down. “Steve, wait! If Tiberius knows where I work, he might know where I live, which means he could be waiting out there for one of us.” 

Bucky had a fair point. There was just one problem with it. “If that is true, then it doesn’t really matter if I go outside now or if I go out later. We can’t spend the rest of our lives in here, and even if we could, we’d go insane. Plus, I’m not going to let Tiberius have that much power over us.” 

“You know, I agree with you on an emotional level with the last thing you said, but my survival instincts are screaming: Darwinism!” Clint waved his hands and shook them in a comical manner. 

“I’ll just take a step outside, and come right back in.” Steve didn’t wait for Clint or Bucky’s approval. He heard the two of them curse and rush to stand. Steve quickened his pace so he could reach the door before either of them could block him. Steve opened the door and stepped into the hallway. He stood there and waited for an attack while Clint and Bucky latched onto his arms and tried to yank him inside of the apartment. 

Steve spun out of Clint’s grasp then out of Bucky’s, putting more space between him and the door of their apartment. 

“Steve,” Bucky and Clint shouted in unison. They both looked like they were dying to leap out of the room and grab him, but then they’d be doing exactly what they were chastising Steve for doing. 

Steve put his hands on his hips and waited for Tiberius to attack him. 

Seconds passed and nothing happened. 

Clint frowned and stuck his head out of the apartment. 

Bucky took a cautious step out of the apartment. He rested a hand on Steve’s arm as he eyed the hallway and all its shadows. 

“Talk about anticlimactic,” Clint said. 

Bucky nodded, still tense and ready to yank Steve back into the apartment with him. 

Steve shook off Bucky’s hold. “I’m going to take three steps that way.” Steve pointed down the hall. 

Thor’s hammer rested on the old carpet with its handle up for anyone to grab. It wasn’t in the middle of the hallway, but it wasn’t off to the side either. Someone not paying attention to their surroundings would probably trip on the thing, even if the hammer was about the size of a person’s head. 

Steve strolled over to the hammer and bent down to pick it up. The hammer felt sturdy in his grip, but when Steve lifted the weapon, it weighed as if it were made of plastic. He held it up to his face and examined it. There were intricate designs along the hammer, and Steve couldn’t help but run his fingers along the markings. The cool, metal gave off a static shock that caused Steve to yank his hand back. 

“Let’s put this in the apartment for now,” Steve said to his boyfriend. “It’s probably not a good idea to leave an angelic weapon lying around.” 

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Clint backed into the apartment to make room for Steve. 

Bucky lingered in the hall behind Steve. Steve had mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, it showed that Bucky had overcome some of his fear, but on the other, Bucky was acting like a wary guard dog with his hypervigilance. He was still watching the hall like he expected Tiberius to jump out at any moment. 

“Hey, Bucky, where should I put this?” Steve asked. 

Bucky startled. He took one more sweep of the hallway then followed Steve into the apartment. “Just put it on the coffee table for now.” 

Steve did as Bucky instructed then headed back to the hallway, Bucky tailing him like a duckling. It actually would have been amusing and cute, if Bucky’s protectiveness wasn’t sparked by fear. Clint hovered nearby, after he witnessed Steve and Bucky pace the hallway three times without Tiberius emerging from any shadows and grabbing them, Clint ducked back into the apartment with a, “I’m going to email my professors and let them know I’ll be missing their classes due to a family emergency.” 

Bucky came to halt at Clint’s words. 

Steve faced Bucky. In a second, he took in Bucky’s thoughtful expression and knew something new was bothering him. “What’s wrong?”

“Don’t you have work this afternoon?”  Bucky asked him.

Remorse churned in Steve’s gut. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but going into work right now when everything was in chaos, and Bucky was especially having a hard time dealing with it all felt like a betrayal. “I can call in sick if you need me to. Anything you want, Buck.”

Bucky shook his head. “No, I had to take a day off already and now I’m taking today and possibly tomorrow off. Clint had to leave work early yesterday too. At this rate, if we miss any more days of work, we’re going to have a difficult time paying the rent.” 

“We’ll make it work if it comes to that,” Steve promised.

Bucky smiled crookedly. “I rather not. Besides, I think I rather take any money we can pull together, and use it to brush up on self-defense.” 

An iron fist clenched Steve’s heart. “Bucky, I know-”

Bucky held up his hands. “I know I’m freaking out, and maybe a week from now I’m not going to want to take the classes, but right now if I could, I’d go out there and attend a class. Anything to make me feel like less of a target.” 

“Then let’s do it,” Steve said. 

Bucky blinked in surprise. “Uh… that’s the plan.”

“No, I mean let’s go out right now, and find a dojo that takes walk-ins. I still have a few hours before I even have to think about going into work. So let’s grab some sweats and take a class.”

“You’re serious?” Bucky asked. 

“Of course.” The fact that Bucky even had to ask just further proved how off-kilter Bucky was. Steve would not joke about something like this. If taking a self defense class would make Bucky feel better, then Steve would take him to every single self-defense class out there until Bucky became a master, if that was what Bucky wanted. 

“Okay.” Bucky took a deep breath and the shadow of smile appeared on his face. “Okay,” he said with a little more confidence. “Let’s do this.” 

Steve clapped Bucky on the shoulder and guided them back into the apartment. 

They headed to the bedroom where Clint was leaning against the doorframe and talking to Tony. 

“My brain is wrapped around a telephone pole, I’m so confused, Tones, but I swear if you keep up this angsting I’m going to come over there and wrestle it out of you.” 

“Wrestle?” Tony’s voice came from inside the bedroom. 

“I don’t know, Tony.” Clint sighed in exasperation. “Just know I’m going to hop on that bed of yours and do something annoying if you keep this up. I say that with love.”

“Mind if we get past you?” Steve asked Clint, who startled at Steve and Bucky’s appearance. 

Clint grinned into the bedroom. “See, Tony, no one’s going to let you mope alone.” Clint stepped aside to let Bucky and Steve in. 

“You three are crazy,” Tony grumbled. 

“Yeah, well, I’m pretty messed up right now, so I’m not going to deny it,” Bucky said as he and Steve shuffled into the room. 

Steve cringed at Bucky’s bluntness, and hoped that Tony wouldn’t take it the wrong way. Steve went over to the dresser and opened the drawer where he and Bucky kept their sweats. He casually looked over his shoulder to gauge Tony’s response. 

Tony was fiddling with his shirt cuff, but otherwise he looked more anxious than hurt. “I’d offer you something to help, but I’m not sure I have anything that can.” 

Bucky shrugged and snatched his sweats out of the drawer, cutting off Steve’s attempts to grab the clothes for him. “I think I’m going to need a week before I can even come close to processing everything that’s going on.” 

“Take your time,” Tony said. 

A thought occurred to Steve. “Tony, Thor’s hammer doesn’t radiate anything or do something dangerous when it’s not in Thor’s hands, right?”

Tony released the cuff he’d been fiddling with. His face pinched in befuddlement. “That’s an odd question. Last I checked, the hammer just sits in place until Thor or somebody worthy picks it up.” 

“Worthy?” Clint uttered the question that popped into Steve’s head at the exact same time. 

“Not just anyone can lift Thor’s hammer. I’m not sure what all of the qualifications are, but I assume you have to meet some unrealistic standard of ‘goodness.’” Tony used air quotes for the last word. 

Bucky groaned and facepalmed. “God damn it, Steve.” 

Steve startled. “It’s not my fault!”

Clint whistled lowly. “Oh boy.”

Tony’s gaze narrowed with suspicion. “What did Steve do?” 

“Nothing bad,” Steve defended himself. 

Clint crooked his finger and sashayed out of the doorframe and into the short hallway between bedroom and living room. “Come on, Tony. You have to see this.” 

Tony unfolded from his perch on the bed and followed Clint. 

There was a beat of silence.

“What is this!” Tony screamed. 

Steve winced. Maybe he wouldn’t go into work today after all. 


	3. Chapter 3

Tony seated himself at the foot of his bed. He tapped his fingers along his knee as his thoughts weaved in and out of each other. He mentally congratulated himself for giving the humans the space they needed, despite his greedy need to stay near. 

He smiled ruefully at himself. He was literally still in the same apartment as the trio, yet he was acting like he had hopped on a plane for another continent with no intents to return to them again. He really was too attached to Clint, Steve, and Bucky. 

Which was why he had to figure out a better way to protect them. He had naively hoped that the tattoos would be enough, but Tiberius was proving to be quite the problem. 

Tony had a few ideas, but he would most likely have to call in favors. He didn’t mind doing so, but he would have to be careful who he called upon. Some of the more dastardly acquaintances could pose a second threat if they discovered Tony had grown fond of three humans. 

Tony’s safest gamble would be to call upon Loki again. His friend wouldn’t help out of the goodness of his heart, but Tony suspected he might be able to offer Loki something for assistance. 

The bedroom door opened and Tony startled. 

Clint jerked in reaction to Tony’s surprise. Once Clint realized the flinching movement he’d spotted as he opened the door had been Tony, Clint chuckled. He crossed his arms as he leaned against the doorframe. His gaze skimmed over Tony. “Sorry ‘ bout that. Guess we’re all jumpy.”

“Sorry, do you need the bedroom?” Tony moved to get up, but Clint signaled for Tony to remain seated. 

“Whoa, Tony. It’ s okay. You don’t have to move every time one of us enters the room. We might be going through a rough patch, but you’ve lived with us long enough that you have the right to your own space and privacy. 

“Thank you, but I’m fine. If you need the room then I don’t mind leaving. You need time to process.” 

Clint groaned and ran his hand through his hair. “My brain is wrapped around a telephone pole, I’m so confused, Tones, but I swear if you keep up this angsting I’m going to come over there and wrestle it out of you.” 

“Wrestle?” Tony swore Clint had just spoken English to him, but his brain was reacting as if Clint had switched to another language without warning. It sifted through dictionaries of languages, but kept coming back to English. 

“I don’t know, Tony.” Clint sighed in exasperation. “Just know I’m going to hop on that bed of yours and do something annoying if you keep this up. I say that with love.”

Suddenly Steve and Bucky were behind Clint and asking to get through. 

Tony really had picked a poor spot to give them space, hadn’t he? 

Clint continued to infuse Tony with cheer as Bucky and Steve looked through the dresser for clothes. Guilt filled Tony when Bucky confessed that he was still struggling with everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. 

When Steve inquired about Thor’s hammer Tony was intrigued and surprised. He supposed it wasn’t odd that Steve would have some questions in relation to Thor and his hammer. However, it was the timing that was strange. 

The reactions that followed after Tony’s explanation had him even more curious and a tad concerned. He followed Clint into the living room and just about lost it when he saw Mjolnir stationed on the coffee table like it was a bowl of fruit or a vase of flowers. 

Steve had picked up Mjolnir. Steve, a human, who to most would be considered mundane (Tony personally found Steve exceptional, but he knew that was a personal belief), had picked up Thor’s hammer. 

Steve was worthy of wielding an angel’s hammer.

Steve and Bucky shuffled into the living room. Steve hung his head like a child who had just had its hand slapped after trying to steal a cookie from the cookie jar. 

“Maybe I could only move it because I was trying to prevent people from tripping over the hammer?” Steve gestured helplessly at Mjolnir.

Tony snapped his fingers and waved Steve toward the hammer. “Pick it up! Pick it up!” He had to see if Steve’s theory was right—that the hammer had only allowed itself to be moved out some sense of greater good, or if Steve could pick up the hammer whenever he pleased. 

Steve grimaced. He remained in his spot. 

Bucky sighed and shoved his way past Steve and over to the hammer. “Might as well excalibur this.” Bucky braced one foot on the coffee table. He gripped Mjolnir’s handle and tugged. 

The hammer didn’t budge. 

Bucky let go and took a step back. “That proves that whatever makes this hammer only capable of being used by certain people is still in effect, right?” Bucky asked Tony. 

Tony nodded vigorously. In theory there could be something interfering with the hammer’s powers, but it was unlikely. 

Steve remained in his spot, looking deeply discomfited by the prospect of picking up Mjolnir. 

Clint glanced at Steve then at Bucky. Bucky and Clint shared a silent conversation that lasted only a second. 

“All right.” Clint stepped up to the coffee table and grabbed Mjolnir. “Might as well give it a shot, right?” Like Bucky had done before him, Clint braced one foot on the edge of the coffee table. His arm muscles bulged as he put all of his strength into lifting the hammer. 

Mjolnir didn’t even tilt. 

Clint released the hammer on an exhale. He took a step back. He shrugged sheepishly and held his hands out at his side. “Not worthy, I guess.”

Steve inhaled deeply. His brow pinched and his jaw tightened. The hardening of his facial features confessed that Steve was mentally bracing himself for what would come next. “My turn.”

Steve didn’t brace his foot on the table, and he only used one hand to touch the very tip of the hilt. 

Steve plucked the hammer off the table like it was a candlestick.

A tiny cosmos exploded in Tony’s head. It was as if everything around him whited out except for the sight of Steve holding Mjolnir. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. This was entirely unexpected. It was a boon and a tragedy, much like the arrival of Thor himself had been. 

Steve set Mjolnir down. “So how much trouble are we in?”

“That’s pretty pessimistic of you, Steve. I think you and Bucky have been spending too much time together.” Clint’s tone had been light and teasing, but he hadn’t been able to cover up the edge of worry in his voice. 

It pained Tony to know that something that most humans would find miraculous and wonderful caused the trio distress. Unfortunately, if they hadn’t already learned it, they were starting to learn that there were good and bad consequences every time something supernatural entered their lives. 

“First, let me start by saying this is amazing.” Tony had to get that across. He needed Steve, Bucky, and Clint to get something positive out what had just happened, because while there would be challenges to come, Steve’s ability to pick up Thor’s hammer was like the sun itself. Just because the sun created a few shadows didn’t cancel out all the gifts the sun gave. “That word truly isn’t adequate for what just happened, but you’ll have to forgive me for my lackluster vocabulary at the moment. This is good, really good, and you’re right, because of that we’re going to run into some trouble, but it’s nothing compared to what we have now.” 

Tony scanned Steve, Clint, and Bucky’s reactions. Curiosity and hope showed on Clint’s face, while Steve had a similar expression, but unlike Clint’s, Steve showed a hint of caution with his optimism. Bucky, always the hardest one to convince that the world wasn’t ending, held no hope in his appearance, but there was analytical consideration in his gaze. 

“Thor is not going to be happy when he finds out Steve can wield Mjolnir. Neither will be Loki. Thor isn’t a threat right now, though, and Loki I can manage. Our only concern will be when words spreads and suddenly everyone wants to meet the human who can wield an angel’s weapon. That gives us time, which is exactly what we need, because, Steve, as wary as you are, right now that hammer is our best defense against any supernatural creature who attacks us.” 

Once again, Tony examined the humans, picking apart their reactions. “Don’t you see? The tattoos and the barrier around this place were all a defense. If you have to, now you can go on the offensive.” 

“I don’t want to become a demon hunter,” Steve stated. 

Tony held up his hands to show he meant no offense. “I’m not telling you to, I’m telling you that if push comes to shove, you can defend yourself, Bucky, and Clint.” 

Bucky crossed his arms and shrugged. “Sounds crazy, but damn if it doesn’t sound exactly like the break we need.”

“Yeah,” Clint agreed. 

Steve’s brow pinched. He stepped toward the coffee table and picked up the hammer again. He scrutinized the hammer then tossed and flipped it. He caught the hammer with ease. “I feel like I’m in a dream.” Steve’s mouth formed a thin line as he mulled over his situation. “I could help others too.”

“I thought you didn’t want to be a demon hunter?” Tony said. 

Steve shook his head. “I don’t mean like that. I mean, if I see something, I can help. Stopping a demon or something that happens to be doing bad things when they’re right in front of me is one thing. Actually trying to find demons, vampires, or whatever, that’s a whole other level. Besides,” Steve smirked, “one of my boyfriends is a demon. I’d be a hypocrite if I assumed every creature with a bad reputation was evil.” 

“To be fair, demons are evil.” Tony did not want Steve or the others to go around trusting every demon they met. “Many of us can be quite charming and can fake emotions when needed, so don’t fall for just any sob story.” 

Bucky opened his mouth then shut it. 

Tony grinned at Bucky. “I know exactly what you were going to say.” 

“But I didn’t say it,” Bucky pointed out. 

“So how does one practice wielding an angel hammer?” Clint asked. 

Tony smirked. “Oh, you know. Go somewhere where there is a lot of space but there are not a lot of people around.” Tony gave a pause for the sake of dramatic flair.  “In other words, we need to go camping.” 


End file.
